"I am the strength of the rock at thy back, the roots of the tree that anchor the Earth and deepest of tides in the black depths of the ocean. I am the Hunter and the Sacred Prey, the warmth of the sun in the swelling grapes and the call of the road that leads over the hill.

I give you, my creatures, the fire of love, the power of the wind on your face, shelter from the darkest storm. You are dear to me, and I instill in you my power...the power of peace hard earned, the power of vision and magical sight, and the spark of elemental fire, which is the primal light in the darkness.

By the powers of running stag and glorious sun, I charge thee; by the darkest depth of night and the lingering tendrils of dreams, I charge thee; and by the beauty of your own creation, I charge thee;

Follow your heart and your instinct, wherever they lead you. The wealth of the heart will guide you where the cold edge of logic cannot take you.

Take joy in the powers of your bodies. The form your body takes is unique in the universe and is chief among your tools.

Lastly, always remember the path you have left behind you. Learn to take your power from the foolish things you have wrought as well as the good you have done for others and for your world. You can never usurp another's power, and yours is the well upon which you must rely.

I am with you always, just over your shoulder, running with you through the tall grasses and forests that surround you. I possess you and I am your Sacred Prey. I am the Lord of Death, and when you have come to the end of your life on this world, I will be there; to take you between the worlds, to offer you peace and rest. Look upon my face; know me. I am the spirit of the wild things, but you too, are wild in your souls and we are forever intertwined."

ERIS (pronounced EAR-iss) is the Greek Goddess of strife. According to most sources, she is the daughter of Nyx, Goddess of night, and Erebos, God of darkness, although Homer calls her the daughter of Zeus and Hera, twin sister to Ares, the God of war. Eris delights in causing trouble wherever she goes, and she is the last to leave the battlefield, soaking up all of the suffering that she has caused. It was an act of Eris that ended up causing the Trojan War--in revenge for not being invited to the marriage of Thetis, Goddess of the sea, and Peleus, a mortal, she cast a golden apple inscribed with the word "kallisti" ("for the fairest") among the guests. The apple was claimed by the three Goddesses Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite, and they asked Zeus to decide which one of them it should belong to. Not wanting to get into the middle of that particular argument, Zeus gave the task to Paris, a mortal prince from Troy. Each of the Goddesses tried to bribe him--Hera with power over all other men, Athena with skill in war, and Aphrodite with the most beautiful woman in the world--and Paris chose Aphrodite. Unfortunately, the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen, was already married, and when Paris kidnapped her (with Aphrodite's help), the Trojan War began.

Eris is the mother of a whole host of evil spirits or Kakodaimones, including Lethe (forgetfulness), Limos (hunger), Ponos (labor), Dysnomia (lawlessness), Ate (ruin and recklessness), Horkos (oaths), the Algea (pain), the Amphilogiai (disputes), the Androktasiai (slaughter on the battlefield), the Hysminai (fights), the Makhai (battles), the Neikea (quarrels), the Phonoi (murder), and the Pseudologoi (lies). It was these Kakodaimones who inhabited the jar that Pandora later opened, releasing them into the world. Eris's name means "strife," and epithets used to describe her include HARD-HEARTED, ABHORRED, FRIGHTFUL, TERRIBLE, and DEADLY.